Jess Smith

Jess Smith is a journalist who's passion for writing spans all the way to when she was only 7-years-old and was making up news stories for her neighbors. Fast forward to age 22 and she has written for many publications including the EDM based, Elektro Magazine.

The 90s are making a comeback

Back in September, it was announced that Dumb and Dumber 2 was definitely becoming a reality. Jeff Daniels, co-star of the original Dumb and Dumber spilled the beans after he won an Emmy for his hit drama show Newsroom. He announced that he would be flying out to work on the much-anticipated sequel of the infamous 90’s film. The revamp of the film became an even clearer reality when Jim Carrey tweeted out a photo of them in full-blown Harry and Lloyd characters.

Fast-forward to the present and the trailer is here! Premiered on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the first trailer of the film lives up to Jeff Daniels’ promise about events in the Dumb and Dumber To making “the original toilet scene look lame.” The original twosome is in rare form in this sequel, with all kinds of gross things happening including a cat’s ass being paraded around and a failed fingering.

A prequel called Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd failed horribly in the box office when it premiered in 2003 and there is no wonder that film critics and just general movie fans are questioning whether or not this will be a flop. Obviously the biggest drive to see the film is going to be 90’s generation nostalgia. I don’t know why it is, but it seems like the late 80’s and 90’s generations have such cravings for 90s nostalgia that TeenNick even launched “The 90’s Are All That” a late-night block that aired Nickelodeon TV shows that aired in the 90’s, that was only meant to be temporary until vast success and high ratings resulted in TeenNick keeping the programming permanently.

Even more recently, a KickStarter campaign started by Reading Rainbow host, LeVar Burtron called for $1 million to re-launch the show in a web format. The campaign not only raised the $1 million for the 80’s/90’s literacy TV show in just a few hours, but it doubled it’s original amount needed in a day. The campaign currently is at $3.6 million and is on a road to raise $5 million.

Beetlejuice 2 and Jurassic Park have also been announced for possible additions to their original films, both airing in the late 80’s and early 90’s. So why is 90’s nostalgia so coveted? Is it because 20-somethings are drowning in debt, struggling to find a career and dealing with the perils of adult life? Do we all just want to curl up with a blankie and sip some apple juice while watching an episode of Wild Thornberrys and forget about the days where we had to pay electric and outlandish Comcast bills? While typing this at my desk, trying to adjust to “adult life”, I want to scream “YES!”

The selfie will cure all

Country superstar Brad Paisley had a run in with resident batshit religious extremists, Westboro Baptist Church members and took one of the most hilarious selfies in the history of selfiedom. Since the crazed loony-toon group is based out of Kansas, it came as now surprise when they got out of their bed of hate, picked up their offensive signs and marched over to the Cricket Wireless Ampitheater.

Paisley made his way outside where a smiling Westboro Baptist member help up a sign that said “God Hates Drunks” and took a selfie with a fact that looked like he was doing his best to capture the true insanity of a Westboro Baptist Church Member.

Westboro Baptist Selfie!! Or west-Burro(ass) selfie. Hopefully they can hear the show out here. We’ll play loud. pic.twitter.com/OrMhJjD8NE

Paisley posted the picture on Twitter with a caption that read “Westboro Baptist Selfie!! Or west-Burro(ass) selfie. Hopefully, they can hear the show out here. We’ll play loud.” Who knows maybe selfies at Klan meetings will end the KKK.

Shock rocker will be playing a white supremacist

Sons of Anarchy is about to get a whole lot more batshit. It looks like Marilyn Manson will become a regular character on the seventh and final season of FX’s Sons of Anarchy. The Goth icon is set to play Ron Tully, a white supremacist that is supposedly going to stir up a lot of trouble in the motorcycle gang cult drama.

Manson told the Hollywood Reporter that he accepted the role because of his father. “Sons has been a big part of my life as well as my father’s,” he explained. “So I was determined to make him proud be being involved in what will probably be remembered as the most amazing piece of television cinema. After all, the heart of SOA is about that relationship. So, now all I need is a motorcycle.”

Manson’s reasoning for joining the cast holds even more sentimental value sense this comes just two weeks after his mother, Barbara Warner, passed away from dementia at age 68. Manson posted a photo on his Facebook that read “Mother, to the first and greatest believer in me…I hope I see you again someday. But not now, because I have more things I promised I would do. I’ll make you proud and satisfied that you know that you made the son you wanted. I love you.”

Manson has appeared in small roles, like in Eastbown and Down, Californication and as the LSD taking Christina Superstar in Party Monster.

This cat plays Jenga! What else do you need to know?!

There are plenty of videos of cats doing all types of things. Massaging dogs, saving lives and just being all around cute. Now you can add cats playing Jenga to your procrastination repertoire.

This adorable cat, who goes by Moe, goes a few rounds in the mentally exhausting game. Him and his owner are neck in neck, before the kitty gives an icy stare at the end only to knock his owner’s block on the ground in frustration.

The video is quickly becoming viral, with over 2.1 million views on YouTube. I wonder what else can Jenga cat play? Sorry? Life? MouseTrap?

Well, Moe isn’t the only cat that enjoys the game of Jenga, look at gifs of these other cats enjoying the game!

LeVar Burton has launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for the show

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high

Take a look, it’s in a book-Reading Rainbow

And it might be returning!

Host and executive producer, LeVar Burton has launched a Kickstarter camapaign in order to raise $1 million to reinvent Reading Rainbow into a web series and full classroom program.

Generations that have experienced their childhood throughout the 80’s or the 90’s will recognize that infectious theme song, the acid trip-like visuals and LeVar Burton’s charming smile, inviting us to hop into the imagination of the Reading Rainbow. The show would often feature notable celebrities reading famous children’s books. Some of the famous faces have been Bill Cosby, Eartha Kitt and Philip Burton,

Financial troubles and other internal problems at PBS lead to the shows demise in 2006. In 2012, An iPad app called Reading Rainbow 2.0 was launched, where children could read books and go on virtual fieldtrips, creating an interactive and fun educational experience. The app became top educational app within 36 hours of the debut.

The Kickstarter campaign offers goodies for those who donate as well. People who donate $250 will receive a personalized photo and an autograph of Burton, $600 will get you a 5-10 minute phone call with Buton. Want to have a fancy dinner with LeVar Burton? Then donate $3,500. A donation of $10,000 will get you a dinner with Burton, as well as a chance to wear the iconic visor that he wore on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The campaign amazingly has $385,382 raised and the number keeps increasing by the second with 35 days left on the campaign. It looks like generations might get to experience the joy of The Reading Rainbow.

UPDATE: In just ONE day The Reading Rainbow KickStarter camapaign raised $1 million! Not only did they raise $1 million, but they are currently about to double what they asked for with $1,711,181 and is increasing each second. The campaign has 34 days to go, so there is no telling how much money they might raise. It looks like I will be breaking out the apple juice and reliving my childhood really soon!

The Party Monster star gets pelted with bottles at his gig for the Pizza Underground

Macaulay Culkin has a Velvet Underground tribute band called the Pizza Underground. I’ll just let that sink in for a moment…. Yep, I am serious. Don’t believe me? Check out this Noisey special on them.

Tantalizing stuff right? The Pizza Underground didn’t digest so well with the crowd at Dot to Dot festival in Nottingham apparently. I’m not a music executive or anything, but I’m thinking maybe because it’s a fucking Velvet Underground cover band singing about pizza!!!?? I mean pizza is delicious, but so is hummus. You don’t see me making a cover band called Hummus & Roses do you?

They only got through singing part of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” before people decided to throw pints of PBR, or whatever you kids drink these days at the pizza enthusiasts. Culkin responded with “Why are you throwing those, I’d rather drink them!”

Alas, the crowd felt otherwise, as they continued to throw bottles and other novelties at the band. Simulatenously ruining Culkin’s kazoo solo, which I am sure was going to be a panty dropper.

This led to the band throwing their hands in the air and Culkin said, “That’s the end of the show. Goodnight.” The band later tweeted:

Thank you so much Nottingham and dot to dot. Sorry that a couple people ruined it for everyone.

Ninja goes on a bloody rampage then gets revived by spit

Eccentric South African duo Die Antwoord has brought us the first single from their third upcoming album Donker Mag. Each of their music videos gets more surreal as the years go on. Enter the Ninja featured a ton of mice, the late Leon Botha and Yolandi Vi$$er, doing her best to be a sensual schoolgirl. From there on we have seen prothestic masks, roach eating, Lady Gaga being eaten by a lion, butt sex and all kinds of disturbingly comedic imagery.

They might have outdone themselves this time around with their video “Pitbull Terrier”. Ninja directs and stars in this one in really intricate prosthetic makeup to give them the appearance of a rabid pitbull. Complete with thick drool spewing from his canine lips, Ninja raps while two scantily clad cat ladies in body paint dance sensually next to him. He also goes on a homicidal spree and rips people into bloody pulps on his angry pitbull run.

The pitbull terrier then jumps out of a window to his death, but is then revived by a huge wad of Yolandi’s saliva. Sounds like an adventure for champions. Donker Mag is due out June 3, 2014 and the duo are also slated to star in fellow South African director Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming sci-fi comedy film “Chappie”. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Many are saying Apple’s ‘Beats By Dre’ buyout is a bad move

It looks like Apple is trying desperately to keep up with trends with their recent offer to buy extremely popular headphones company Beats Electronics, better known as ‘Beats By Dre’. The deal is rumored to be set at a buyout of $3.2 billion, which would be a good investment considering the $1.5 billion revenue the headphones reportedly bring in each year.

Rumors of the buyout began to kick up dust when a video surfaced of Beats co-founder Dr. Dre and R&B artist Tyrese Gibson where Tyrese calls him “The first billionaire of hip hop.” The video was posted on Gibson’s Facebook with the words “Dr Dre ON THE night his deal went public that he did with Apple 3.2 BILLION!!!”

If this buyout was to happen, it would be Apple’s largest buyout yet, with their last largest acquisition being their $404 million purchase of NeXT software back in 1996. While most are saying this is a good look for co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Lovine, is this a good look for Apple? Most are saying no. Media sources like Forbes and Huffington Post are touching on the fact that the outlandishly large sum of money Apple might be planning on dishing out to have ownership of Beats Electronics, is not worth the product.

Many techies can attest to the fact that ‘Beats by Dre’ headphones rank below average against some of the other higher quality headphone brands that are in the same price bracket. Companies like V-MODA and Shure, are cranking out quality products that don’t compromise the sound for a sleek look. An article in TIME ranked 18 headphones from worst to best and they ranked Beats as being 17 in the list. Having reviewed a few headphones myself, I can say that ‘Beats by Dre’ are one of the worst headphones I have ever used. So why would Apple want to invest in such a subpar product instead of just coming up with a better one? It seems like the reason may stem from the fact that in this day and age trends trump innovation.

Netflix or another streaming website could save the show

Community fans might be reaching for the tissues right about now. NBC just went on a cancelling spree announcing that they gave the axe to shows Revolution, Crisis, Believe and Growing Up Fisher, but probably the biggest surprise of all was when they announced that their show Community would not be returning for a sixth season.

Although fans may view this as a surprise, the death of the show had been in the air for a while with the creator Dan Harmon leaving as the show runner for an entire season with Alien in America creators David Guarisco and Moses Port taking over for that entire season. Harmon returned for Season 5, which premiered on January 2, 2014, but one of the show’s stars Donald Glover also took this season to make an early exit from the series. Unfortunately the ratings were not up to par. For the duration of the entire 13 episode season the ratings averaged to about 3.8 million viewers.

The layered and intricate humor in Community made it a cult classic. Spawning its own popular forum on Reddit and even a KickStarter campaign for a convention made for Community fans called ‘Communicon’, the television show has a dedicated following. However, the show just proved not to be popular with the masses. However, all hope is not lost.

In this day and age where the most popular TV shows aren’t even on the television, there is always the most likely option of rebooting the show onto a streaming device. Just like with the revived fourth season of Arrested Development, it is a high possibility that Community may take the same route. With increasingly popular shows like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards reinventing the meaning of television shows, this might gain them an even bigger following than being on NBC. Who knows, maybe this might be the move Community needed.

A life of lending his voice to radio and television has ended in a battle with esophageal cancer

Hearing the deep-toned animated voice on your television screen say “They’re Gr-r-eat” will either elicit a feeling of warm childhood feelings or a craving for a deliciously sweet cereal, commonly known as Frosted Flakes. The voice of ‘Tony the Tiger’ has penetrated the childhood of many people and now Tony Marshall, the voice behind the beloved mascot, has died at the age of 64.

Thurl Ravenscroft, was the first voice behind the character, when he started in 1952. However, Lee Marshall, first lent his voice to be the mascot in 1999, and completely took over as the lovable tiger in 2005 after Ravenscroft passed away at the age of 91. Lee Marshall’s distinguished and personable voice was always geared toward success.

Marshall actually began his career in radio at the impressive age at 14 when he got a job at a Phoenix radio station. After working there for a few years, he ultimately ended up working at the city’s rock station. He ended up living in a couple other cities like Los Angeles and Detroit, where he ended up doing even more radio that ranged from talking about sports to talking about the news.

He even did some voice work on famous cartoons, such as playing some of the villains in Scooby Doo. Marshall also became a ringside interviewer and announcer at high profile wrestling matches. Marshall’s voice was as comforting as it was convincing.

The former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers once said “If God ever wanted to make a speech, Lee Marshall would get the call. “

His son Jason Marshall revealed that, his father had died on April 26 at a Santa Monica hospital after he lost his battle with esophageal cancer.